Novak Djokovic Would Face Roger Federer in Wimbledon Semifinals

Novak Djokovic, pictured training on Friday, will try to keep alive his hopes for a Grand Slam when Wimbledon begins on Monday.CreditPeter Klaunzer/European Pressphoto Agency

By Naila-Jean Meyers

June 24, 2016

WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have met in the last two Wimbledon finals, but if Federer is to stop the dominant run Djokovic is on, he will have to do it in the semifinals.

Federer, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, is seeded third here after missing the French Open with a back injury, and on Friday he was placed in Djokovic’s half of the draw, which will begin play Monday.

Friday’s draw laid out the possible obstacles to a historic summer for the top-ranked Djokovic, who currently holds all four Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic has won Wimbledon the past two years, and another victory at the All England Club would set up an attempt at the first men’s singles Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969 at the United States Open.

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Roger Federer has won seven Wimbledon tournaments, the last in 2012.CreditPeter Klaunzer/European Pressphoto Agency

With an Olympic gold medal also at stake this summer, Djokovic would have a shot at a Golden Slam, a feat only achieved in singles by Steffi Graf in 1988.

Djokovic, who opens against 177th-ranked James Ward of Britain, has a favorable draw until the quarterfinals, where he could face sixth-seeded Milos Raonic before a potential meeting with Federer in the semifinals.

Whether Federer is in strong enough form to make a deep run is one of this tournament’s biggest questions. He lost in the semifinals of grass-court events in Stuttgart and Halle coming into Wimbledon, but said he was “fairly satisfied” with his rehabilitation from knee and back injuries this year.

Second-seeded Andy Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the final of the Australian and French Opens this year, will open against his fellow Briton Liam Broady.

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Serena Williams is seeking her first Grand Slam title since she won at Wimbledon last year. She opens play on Tuesday against a qualifier.CreditPeter Klaunzer/European Pressphoto Agency

His half of the draw, which begins play Tuesday, is a who’s who of the future of men’s tennis, featuring eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem, 22; No. 24 Alexander Zverev, 19; and No. 15 Nick Kyrgios, 21, a potential fourth-round opponent for Murray.

Thiem, coming off a semifinal berth at the French Open, achieved his highest seeding at a Grand Slam event, but in the first round will face Florian Mayer, who beat Thiem in the semifinals in Halle last week. Zverev or No. 10 Tomas Berdych are possible fourth-round opponents for Thiem.

Also in Murray’s half of the draw, fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka will face the American teenager Taylor Fritz in the first round before a possible second-round meeting with Juan Martín del Potro, a former semifinalist here before wrist injuries derailed his career.

In the women’s draw, top-seeded Serena Williams, who is seeking her first Grand Slam title since last year’s Wimbledon, begins play Tuesday against the qualifier Amra Sadikovic of Switzerland.

The highest seed in her quarter of the draw is No. 6 Roberta Vinci, who upset Williams in the semifinals of the United States Open last year. But Vinci faces a difficult first-round test against the American Alison Riske, who excels on grass courts.

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Andy Murray, above, who won at Wimbledon in 2013, lost to Djokovic in the final of the Australian and French Opens this year.CreditPeter Klaunzer/European Pressphoto Agency

In the third round, Williams could play Heather Watson of Britain, who came within two points of beating Williams at Wimbledon last year, or Kristina Mladenovic of France, who lost a tight third-round match to Williams at the French Open.

No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska; No. 7 Belinda Bencic, who has struggled with injuries this year; and No. 10 Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, are also in Williams’s half of the draw.

The French Open champion, Garbiñe Muguruza, is seeded second after reaching the final here last year as the No. 20 seed. She plays Camila Giorgi of Italy in the first round on Monday.

The eighth-seeded Venus Williams is a possible quarterfinal opponent for Muguruza, while No. 4 Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open winner; No. 5 Simona Halep; and No. 9 Madison Keys, who entered the top 10 for the first time this week, loom in the other quarter as possible semifinal challenges.

Muguruza’s quarter also features a first-round match between the doubles partners Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who have won two Grand Slam titles together.

Sixth-ranked Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the tournament on Thursday because of a knee injury. Rafael Nadal will also miss Wimbledon with a wrist injury.